Belief in the coming apocalypse and that conservative Christianity should reclaim the nation has pushed deep into mainstream America, said filmmakers at a screening in Thousand Oaks.

Michael Wilson, director of “Silhouette City,” said the growing movement he defined as Christian nationalism has influenced presidential campaigns, cultural battles over gay marriage, the war in Iraq and military training.

“Apocalypse is an engine of urgency,” he said. “I think the idea is if time is running out and you believe that your God is returning and he’s going to be judging you want to be on the right side.”

Previewed at California Lutheran University on Monday night, “Silhouette City” focuses on Christian survivalists in the 1970s and ’80s who stockpiled weapons in a remote area of Arkansas, performed military training and prepared for battle in an apocalyptic war. The Covenant, the Sword and the Arm of the Lord group disbanded when several leaders were arrested after a tense standoff with federal and state police in 1985.

The film, scheduled to premiere this fall in New York and Los Angeles, segues from Arkansas to modern-day religious conferences and revivals. There, leaders talk about epic spiritual warfare, complain about the rise of homosexuality and exhort followers on the need to reclaim the nation for Christ.

The attacks of 9/11 were seen by many people as more proof of apocalyptic prophecy and the need to strike back, Wilson said. The documentary explores the influence of conservative Christianity on politics with faith-fueled sound bites from President George W. Bush, Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin and others.

Wilson also cited the creation of a White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives as well as the role of some Christian leaders in influencing campaigns and policy decisions.

“The access the government has offered these groups is really astounding,” he said.

The documentary suggests religious influence is growing in the military, citing examples where Air Force chaplains and other leaders push people to accept born-again Christianity or burn in hell.

“This hasn’t ended at all. If anything it has grown,” said MeLinda Morton, a former Air Force chaplain who was part of a panel discussion that followed the film.

Other panelists focused on how the recession has fueled apocalyptic views, with Wilson saying things have reached a fevered pitch.

Some of that intensity comes from the widespread effect of the downturn, said Jonathan Kirsch, author of “The Grand Inquisitor’s Manual: A History of Terror in the Name of God.”

“That’s a very intimate apocalypse,” he said. “That’s the ruin of your own life and livelihood.”